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Route Malham - Malham Cove County Yorkshire Difficulty Moderate to hard Distance 11km (7 miles) Typical time Four hours OS grid reference SD900628, Explorer OL 2 Starting point The large car park by the National Park Centre at the entrance to Malham village

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Blister rating: 4/5 View rating: 4/5

I used to camp near Gordale Scar with my Mum and Dad when I was a toddler. I would crawl out of our tent when they weren’t looking and then into a nearby stream for a splash. I survived to tell the tale and I’ve been back plenty of times since.

I enjoyed climbing to the top of Malham Cove, but I’d get nervous on the rutted limestone pavements. It’s a long way down. I went more recently with Sarah, my wife, and felt a bit safer when we were dangling our legs off the edge of the plateau.

The view from the top of the Cove is special. Make sure you walk right up to Gordale Scar, a spectacular ravine, and Janet’s Foss, a stunning waterfall. There’s loads of wildlife along the way: dippers, streams full of trout, rabbits, plenty of sheep, and caves for hide and seek. And don’t miss the ice-cream van in Gordale Scar.

I live at the bottom end of the Dales, but I’m yet to take Ernie, my two-year-old son, around this walk. I’m looking forward to the time when we can tramp round together.

The route

1 Turn left out of the car park and walk along the road. About 50m before the village green, take a footbridge on the right next to the smithy. Turn right along the path, walking downstream through a series of gates. At a double kissing-gate, turn left.

2 Go left of the barn ignoring a ladder-stile and enter an enclosed way. Keep to this clear path along the river to the waterfall of Janet’s Foss.

3 Climb the path to the left of the waterfall to a stile giving access to the road. Turn right along the road past the triangle of bridges to a signpost to Gordale Scar on the left.

4 Go through the gate and along to Gordale Scar.

5 Climb the waterfall or avoid the climb via Waymark 15. (See Alternative Route.) Go up the steep grassy bank to a stile.

6 Over the stile, take the grass track to the top of a rise where a wall comes in from the left. Cross the stile almost straight ahead.

7 Turn right along the road to a T-junction. Go straight across down the stony track to the gate for Malham Tarn.

8 Explore the tarn and return to this gate.

9 Take the right diagonal across the field. Go parallel to the stream and back to the road.

10 Turn right along the road through the gate, across the stream. Leaving the road take the kissing-gate on the left. Stay right of the stream.

11 In 50m at a signpost take the left-hand fork. Follow the sign to Dry Valley and Malham Cove. Follow the bottom of the valley to Comb Scar.

12 Go left over the stile and take the path down Comb Scar, to pass through a pair of gates. Just ahead is the limestone pavement on the top of Malham Cove. Before a stile on the left, veer right towards the pavement.

13 Carefully cross the pavement to a stile in the far right-hand corner.

14 Cross the stile and walk down the steps of the cove. The path splits: go left to the cove, but the way ahead lies right on the near side of the stream to arrive at a road. Turn left to finish your walk in the centre of Malham.

Alternative route

15 From the triangle of bridges, turn right through a kissing-gate signposted to Malham Cove. Bear left at a wall corner and up the hill with the wall on the right.

16 At the first kissing-gate turn sharp right and go about 7m, then half-right on a path across pasture to a small gate in the wall ahead.

17 Follow the path in roughly the same direction as it zig-zags up to the crest between major outcrops. Cross the top to a wall on the right and follow it.

18 As the wall ends, follow the path slightly left to a stile. Turn right on this path to the top of Gordale Scar waterfall, or left to continue the walk at Waymark 6.

Source: walkingworld.com

Contributor: William Kembery. Walk: No 448

Things to see: Magnificent mountain scenery and lake views, abundant wildlife and birds.

Pub rating: 3/5

Pub: Lister Arms, Malham
Walkers will relish a pint of Wainwright bitter at this 300-year-old pub by the River Aire. Home-cooked meals include the promise of a “Yorkshire breakfast”.

Where to stay
Falcon Manor Hotel
A former rectory located on the outskirts of the Yorkshire Dales market town of Settle, the hotel is surrounded by rolling hills and open countryside.

River House Hotel
A Victorian Country house hotel, originally built in 1664, offering superb breakfasts and evening meals

Lister Arms
see above

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